2000
#14,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,897
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Meche
A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of candle wicks, derived from the Old French "meiche."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,277 Americans carry the last name Meche. That puts it at #14,454 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meche surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,529
Census rank
#14,454
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,986 bearers of the surname Meche in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14454th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meche, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meche
The surname MECHE has its origins in France, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "mesche," meaning "wick" or "fuse," which was likely an occupational name for a candlemaker or someone who worked with wicks or fuses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Meche" in the county of Normandy. This suggests that the name was already established in the region before the Norman Conquest of England.
During the medieval period, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. Several variations of the spelling existed, such as "Mèche," "Mesché," and "Meschée," reflecting the regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time.
A notable figure bearing this surname was Jean Meche, a French merchant and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his travels to the New World and his accounts of the indigenous peoples he encountered.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Meche family settled in the region of Poitou, where they played a significant role in the local community. One member, Jacques Meche (1621-1692), served as a mayor and was involved in the region's wine trade.
Another prominent individual was Marie-Anne Meche (1718-1794), a French philosopher and writer who was part of the Enlightenment movement. Her works on education and women's rights were influential during her time.
The name also found its way to England during the Norman Conquest, where it was sometimes anglicized to "Mitch" or "Mech." One such example is Richard Mech, a landowner in Gloucestershire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1190.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Louis-Auguste Meche (1832-1901), a French military officer and explorer who led expeditions in North Africa and the Middle East. His detailed accounts and maps contributed significantly to the understanding of these regions.
Throughout its history, the surname MECHE has been associated with various occupations, from candlemakers and merchants to intellectuals and explorers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meche
Among Census respondents with the surname Meche, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Meche bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Meche surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,779
- Black or African American4.9% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 47
- Two or more races2.2% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meche
Meche appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,002
+105 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 376 places
2020
#14,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,986
-16 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,438 | 1,897 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,814 | 2,002 | 0.68 | +105 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 376 places |
| 2020 | #14,454 | 1,986 | 0.66 | -16 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 360 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Meche surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,814 | #14,454 | 2.4% |
| Count | 2,002 | 1,986 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.66 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meche bearers went from 2,002 to 1,986 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 360 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,814 to #14,454.
FAQ
Meche surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meche?
Name Census estimates that about 2,277 living Americans carry the surname Meche. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,529 residents.
How common is Meche?
Meche ranks #14,454 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,986 people with the surname Meche. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Meche.
Has Meche become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meche went from 2,002 recorded bearers to 1,986. That is a decrease of 16 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,814 to #14,454.
What does the Census say about the background of Meche?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meche, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Meche in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meche appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Black (4.9%), Hispanic (2.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Meche (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Meche mean?
A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of candle wicks, derived from the Old French "meiche." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Meche (0.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Meche?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.